Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
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ZDNET's key takeaways
Waze is great for fast reroutes and real-time driver alerts.
Google Maps has deep Gemini integration for smarter navigation.
Both apps keep improving, but which one is truly the best?
The internet is flooded with claims that Waze leaves Google Maps in the dust. But does the data actually back up the hype? I'm a longtime Google Maps (and Google Earth) user. I swear by the app, and I regularly side-eye anyone who says otherwise (especially, god forbid, Apple Maps users.
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I'm also a tech editor, though, which means I do my best to set aside personal bias in the name of journalism. Every now and then, I force myself to try alternative navigation apps -- and that includes Waze, which, in case you didn't know, Google acquired in 2013.
So, if you're looking for a true feature-by-feature breakdown of how Waze compares to Google Maps, you've come to the right place. I've tried both, and I'm here to tell you which one really gets you where you need to go faster, smarter, and better.
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